The demonstrators called on the concerned authorities to condemn these violations, bring the perpetrators involved in these atrocities to trial and hold the responsible parties accountable.

By Chol Chanyong

Despite the heavy security deployment on the roads leading to the entrances and exits of the Sudanese embassy, ​​a number of activists from South Sudan and Sudan organized peaceful protests in front of the Sudanese embassy in Juba yesterday, Thursday, January 16, denouncing the violations of the Sudanese army against citizens of South Sudan in Wad Medani.

The demonstrators called on the concerned authorities to condemn these violations, bring the perpetrators involved in these atrocities to trial and hold the responsible parties accountable.

“It is very unfortunate to see such horrific crimes committed against South Sudanese citizens from a neighboring country to which we once belonged,” the protestors said.

“We see them as our brothers and sisters, but they have truly disappointed us by killing our innocent citizens who have nothing to do with the army or cooperate with the Rapid Support Forces. This is unjustified and regrettable. This is unacceptable to the people of South Sudan,” they added.

“We strongly condemn this horrific crime, and the international community must condemn it in the strongest possible terms. This is unfortunate, and there is nothing we can do. We cannot restore our people, and the killing is still going on as we speak, despite the videos we have seen, there are many things behind the videos. We are here to send messages to the whole world, to stop the free killing in Sudan.”

The demonstrators carried banners with slogans calling for an end to violence and hatred, stressing the importance of promoting the values ​​of coexistence.

It is noteworthy that on Wednesday, calls were made on social media by activists to organize demonstrations denouncing the violations that occurred against South Sudanese citizens in Wad Madani in Al-Jazeera state, Central Sudan.

The Sudanese government had acknowledged the violations that affected South Sudanese citizens in Wad Madani through its ambassador in Juba, Essam Mohamed Karar, during a press conference held on Wednesday.

The ambassador stated that the Sudanese government would form fact-finding committees on the recent crimes committed, stressing that the Sudanese government completely rejected such violations while maintaining that Sudan is a country that respects international and humanitarian law and all charters, regulations and Geneva Conventions that deal with wars in countries.

He expressed his hope that such events would not affect the strong and fraternal relations between the two countries.

The demonstration, which included both Sudanese and South Sudanese participants, aimed to show solidarity with South Sudanese.

What began as peaceful protests would later culminate into destruction and looting of shops and chaos across various parts of Juba on Thursday evening, as security forces battle the protestors to prevent further escalation.

Spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), Lul Ruai, later released a statement announcing that the army was closely monitoring the security situation in the city.

This came as sporadic gunfire continued to be heard across Juba, with sources revealing that the security forces fired shots into the air in an effort to deter citizens from vandalizing and looting shops.

Meanwhile, Lily Adhieu, the press secretary for President Salva Kiir, in a statement released on behalf of the president, condemned the killings of South Sudanese civilians by Sudanese armed forces, describing the acts as “barbaric.”

Adhieu assured citizens that the government is taking swift and decisive action to address the tragedy. The press secretary further called on South Sudanese to remain calm and refrain from retaliating against Sudanese traders and refugees residing in the country.

“These individuals are seeking safety, and it is our duty to offer protection and support to those in need,” she said

However, authorities did not confirm any casualties from the evening shootings by forces mitigating the protests by the time of going to press.

“These individuals are seeking safety, and it is our duty to offer protection and support to those in need,” Lily Adhieu, the press secretary for President Salva Kiir, condemning looting of Sudanese properties.